Diaspora and Cultural Identity in the Namesake (2003) by Jhumpa Lahiri, and Americanah (2013)by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: From Alientation to Assimilation.
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Date
2025-07-07
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Université Mouloud Mammeri Tizi ouzou
Abstract
This research paper investigates how diaspora and cultural identity are shaped by the ongoing
tension between alienation and assimilation in The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri and
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Through the characters of the two novels,
the study explores how migration, race, gender, and cultural expectation influence the
construction of identity across diasporic experiences. In both novels, displacement generates
emotional and psychological dislocation, revealing identity as a process of continual negotiation
rather than fixed belonging. Drawing on Stuart Hall’s theory, diaspora is a shifting identity
shaped by displacement, cultural hybridity, and the search for belonging. This analysis
highlights key themes such as generational conflict, cultural retention, mental health, and
gendered expectations. While Lahiri's characters confronts the burden of inherited Bengali
traditions in the context of American life, Adichi's face the complexities of racial identity and
cultural authenticity in the U.S. context. Together, these narratives illustrate how characters
navigate assimilation’s pressures while resisting complete erasure. Ultimately, the research
reveals that both alienation and assimilation, though often painful, become spaces for critical
self-awareness and the reimagining of cultural identity in the diasporic context.
Description
49p. ; (+CD-Rom)
Keywords
diaspora, cultural identity, assimilation, alienation, Jhumpa Lahiri, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah, The Namesake
Citation
Comparative and general literature